A/N: Here's Part 2! Hope you guys like it, and leaves me some comments! Let me know if you want me to continue this fic!

Gale sits on the plush chair of the Undersee household dining room. He keeps pulling the red robe tighter around his chest with one hand and pinches the robe tighter around his hips.

Madge's mother sits across from the table with a soft smile on her face. Her face was kind, but Gale suspects she's fuming on the inside. Out of all the people in the world to come spilling out of her daughter's bedroom, it just had to be him. How disappointed her mother must be that her perfect little daughter would choose Gale Hawthorne to mess around with. The guy from the Seam. The one with no future, no money, and no amount of anything to offer to a girl like Madge Undersee. He knows it. Madge knows it. Mrs. Undersee knows it. Her father definitely knows it.

Oh fuck! Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck…

Why the fuck didn't he just listen to his mother? If he had just listened to her, he wouldn't be sitting in the Undersee dining room with nothing on but boxers and Madge's robe.

He feels the blood rush to face. He looks at his lap.

Madge's toes fold over the top of his foot.

"Sleep good, Mr. Hawthorne?" Her father practically yells at Gale.

What the hell is the right answer? Say yes, and he'll think you're a whore. Say no, and he'll think you're ungrateful and used his daughter.

"Cat got your tongue, Hawthorne?"

"Um, I like cats. I used to…have one…" Gale says into his lap.

He can feel everyone's eyes on him. And this is the first time Madge has ever seen the high and mighty Gale Daniel Hawthorne look shy and uncomfortable.

"So, did you enjoy your night?"

"Dad, please."

Her father stares daggers at her. His and Gale's faces match, but not quite in the same manner. His hands are balled into fists on the table. She has never seen him that mad.

"Madge, please. You bring a boy home to fuck, and out of all the boys in this District you pick the whore?"

"Daddy."

"Am I wrong?"

"He's…" Madge begins.

Her father interrupts her, "Let the whore explain himself."

Gale's hands begin to shake under the table, and he hopes his shoulders are steady. He's humiliated. Absolutely humiliated. How does he explain to the Mayor of all people that he's not like that. Truly not like that.

For the most part, Gale's reputation didn't bother him. It was just a reputation anyways. Reputations precedes people.

But now…now? He's sitting in front of Madge Undersee's father, the Mayor and has to explain to him that Gale Hawthorne is not a whore and make him believe it?

"Well?"

Just pull yourself together, Gale. "Well, um, sir…" he wipes his brow. It's. So. Sweaty. "Well, sir, I've only ever slept with two women, and one of them is your daughter," he quickly glances over at the Mayor.

"Yeah," he laughs, "Only two people? That's hard to believe."

"Sweetie, if he says he's only slept with two people, then he only slept with two people."

Mayor Undersee looks at his wife. Her soft eyes are pleading with him to be kinder to the boy across the table. But this is his daughter their talking about. No one should be taking advantage of her. Especially Gale Hawthorne, King of the Slap Heap.

"Babe, you're a Senior, right?"

Gale looks over to Mrs. Undersee. She smiles at him, her frame open.

"Um, yeah. I should be done in December."

Her face lights up, and she claps her hands together. "Oh how lovely! You're graduating early!?"

"Yeah. Would have graduated earlier, but I had to take a year off."

"Really? Why?"

Gale looks at his hands again. "Um, because my dad died, and we had a hard time making ends meet."

"You're still graduating in the same school year you would have, right? You're two grade ahead of Madge?"

"Yeah," Gale nods.

"How wonderful!"

Gale shoots a quick glance toward Mr. Undersee. He's just staring at Gale, but his gaze has softened a tiny bit.

"What do you plan on doing after you graduate?"

Gale laughed a little bit. "Same as I am now. The mines."

"You already started? Don't you have to be of age? Are you 18?"

Gale smiled sympathetically at her. Oh, the shit she doesn't know. "You can apply for early employment at 17." Gale awkwardly nods toward the other man at the table, "Um, your husband approves or denies the request forms."

"You do!?" she looks over at him.

Her husband answers calmly, "Yes, I do."

"Did you know who he was when you approved it?"

"Well, honey…who doesn't know who he is? And second, I don't deny any of the forms that come across my desk."

Both women look at him, but it's Madge's turn to talk. "Why not?"

"It's not like the people applying are exactly in a position to be denied. It's not like they are applying for kicks and giggles."

Gale nods along with the Mayor. It's the only thing they've agreed one so far.

"Speaking of work, I have some work to do." He stands up and extends his hand out to Gale. "It was…interesting to meet you. I wish we could have met on better terms. Do you work on the weekends?"

"It differs per week. I'm off Sunday…"

"How about you meet me in my office on Sunday at two? I'll provide lunch. See you then."

He didn't even give Gale anything to answer.

Once he leaves the room, Gale stands up. "I guess I should be going too." He stands there for a few moments before saying, "Does anyone know where my clothes are?"

"Yes, sweetie. They're in the laundry room. Let me go check to see if they're done."

"Done?"

"I washed them for you, Sweetie. I'll go get them."

She leaves the room. Madge stands up and grabs the front of the robe, pulling Gale closer to her.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It was gonna happen at some point."

Madge wraps her arms around his torso, and squeezes him tight. He leans his head against hers and allows his heart to slow down.

"I can feel you smiling," he whispers.

Madge's mom winks at her from across the room.

"I have a lot to smile about."

"Oh, yeah?"

"You just said you think we have a future."

He pulls away from her. And takes her upper arm in his hands. "Well, yeah. You don't?"

"I try not to think about it. You're you! You're the Gale Hawthorne."

"My reputation precedes me!"

She pads his chest. "I know, babe."

"God, I hate pet names."

"Your clothes are the table. Go change and get out of here. See you, Sunday!"

"Oh my God. Don't remind me!"